Buckeyes freshman safety Malik Hartford sheds black stripe
COLUMBUS — Malik Hartford began receiving praise for his work ethic nearly immediately after he arrived at Ohio State this winter.
Now near the end of his first spring with the Buckeyes, his hard work is paying off in a big way. Hartford shed his black stripe after practice Friday morning, becoming the fourth Buckeyes freshman to lose the stripe this spring. The black stripe removal means he’s officially a member of the football program and has earned his scarlet stripe on his helmet. Freshman tight end Jelani Thurman also received the post-practice honor Friday, as did sophomore running back Chase Brecht.
Hartford, a freshman who enrolled early from Lakota West High School in Cincinnati, is part of a loaded secondary full of young players trying to climb up the depth chart — and veterans aiming to maintain their status on top of it.
Ohio State has raved about Malik Hartford early in his Buckeyes career.
“Malik has come in and he just worked,” Ohio State safeties coach Perry Eliano said earlier this spring. “You see the talent that you saw when he was at Lakota West. He’s extremely smart, high football IQ. Very, very humble young man that has come in, and he’s shown flashes of what he can be. He’s still learning the game of football, as far as on the collegiate level. But I’ll tell you what, I’ve been pleased what I’ve seen so far.
“… He’s thriving, and I’ve been really, really pleased with his maturity and his growth to this point.”
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Hartford was a four-star prospect according to the On3 Industry rankings. He was ranked a the No. 132 overall player in the country, the No. 11 safety in America and the No. 3 player in the state of Ohio, trailing only fellow Buckeyes freshmen cornerback Jermaine Mathews and offensive lineman Luke Montgomery.
But Hartford is acing the learning curve and already turning heads this spring. He is the latest Buckeyes freshman to lose his black stripe in spring practice.
Malik Hartford joins Buckeyes in shedding their black stripes this spring
Sophomore offensive linemen George Fitzpatrick and Tegra Tshabola lost their black stripes the second week of this year’s spring practice, while with Ole Miss transfer cornerback Davison Igbinosun and true freshman wide receiver Carnell Tate shed theirs later in spring. Oregon State transfer quarterback Tristan Gebbia and senior walk-on offensive lineman Quinton Burke lost their black stripes last week. In addition to Hartford, freshman tight end Jelani Thurman received the post-practice honor, as did sophomore running back Chase Brecht.
